The door to Breeders Crown glory may have nudged slightly ajar in the three-year-old fillies’ series after Ladies In Red experienced the second defeat of her storied career in tonight’s heat at the hands of stablemate Joanna.
Reinswoman Jackie Barker took her opportunity to advance Joanna to the lead and set a pace that would prove too tall for even her much feared pursuer, winning the last of the Villawood Properties heats to join stablemates Tough Tilly and Beach Music in the Bendigo winners’ circle.
It was part of another stunning Breeders Crown night for trainer Emma Stewart, who captured five of the night’s six heats and qualified all 12 entrants for the November 13 semi-finals at Tabcorp Park Melton.
That included seven fillies, kicking off with a quinella in the first heat when Tough Tilly crossed stablemate Platinum Sparkle to lead, setting up a win that showed she had taken no affect from the throat abscess that cruelled her Victoria Oaks.
“The little issue that she had is generally not a bad one to have, I’ve had a couple of horses with it,” Kate Gath told TrotsVision.
“I was pretty confident she was back. She got a relatively easy heat compared to the others, so that really helped and I had plenty of confidence.”
After crossing to the front in a 41.1-second lead time, by far the slowest of the night's heats, Gath was able to dictate terms and had Tough Tilly coiled up for a blistering run to the line, stopping the clock in a stunning 25.8-second final quarter.
Only Platinum Sparkle could go with her and did well to go down by just two metres, while Sporty Dancer, Tay Tay, Isabella Princess, Outa The Blue, Silver Mystique and Cashflow Cassie also advanced.
“It was (a) fast (last quarter), but it’s Bendigo and it’s a quick track and we walked (early),” Gath said. “It’s definitely a quarter that we never hear of, conditions tonight are just perfect for running fast times.”
She would also qualify Lifes A Beach in the final heat, but Gath made it clear where her loyalties would lie throughout the series, in no smart part to Tough Tilly’s representation of the EB Research Foundation.
“I’ll stick with Tilly, Woodlands rang Andy to send (Lifes A Beach) over and Andy told them I had Tough Tilly and I’d be committed to her,” she said. “I couldn’t jump off her for everything she means, for Tilly Wilkes herself and everyone involved. I’m happy to have her.”
The second heat produced another terrific head-to-head bout between Beach Music and Bettor Twist, Nathan Purdon’s entrant who looks the horse most likely to upset Stewart’s grip on the series.
Anthony Butt advanced Bettor Twist to Beach Music outside with plenty of the middle-distance race to run and they maintained the pressure through 28.9 and 28.1 second and third quarters.
While much of the chase group lost contact, the leaders continued to battle, storming home in 26.6 with just a head separating Beach Music from Bettor Twist at the line, a bold challenge from the latter that wasn’t lost on the winning driver David Moran.
“(Bettor Twist)’s a great filly and you’ve only got to take notice of her out there. With a big long hopple and she covers the ground, sort of looks like a ready-made mare now,” he said. “She was always the main danger throughout the series I thought.”
The lead pair advanced to the heat along with Dougs Babe, who battled well to be a clear third, Aliens Exist, Pray Tell, Le Belle Bijoux, Heritage Lady and Priddy Sublime.
Moran was expected to roll the Beach Music win into a race-to-race double for himself, Stewart and owner-breeders Lauriston Bloodstock when Ladies In Red stepped out in the last of the three-year-old heats, but as mentioned Joanna shook the series.
It was an eventful opening with Treachery holding the front as Lifes A Beach got away modestly before advancing to the breeze. When Ladies In Red and Joanna advanced three-wide Lifes A Beach kicked up, prompting Ladies In Red to settle into the one-one.
Joanna looked to be exposed three-wide, but Barker pressed the button and she shot to the front in what would prove a decisive move, with the leader then producing a 26.4-second last quarter that would hold Ladies In Red to second, beaten 1.2 metres.
“(Lifes A Beach) was over-racing and that was making it difficult for Ladies In Red, especially on the turn, to get around," Barker told TrotsVision.
"Joanna’s got a little bit more speed and perhaps when (Ladies In Red) dropped in one-one the horse in the death relaxed a little bit and mine has that good turn of foot and she was just able to get around then.
“(Joanna's) certainly improved off her two-year-old season, but in saying that she’s never had a great deal of luck either. She always gets awkward draws or circumstances where they don’t quite work out for her. But she certainly has come on again this season."
Treachery, Lifes A Beach, Runaway Celebrity, Eva Mateo, Momentslikethese and Heavenly Belle filled out the top eight to earn their heat places.
The Breeders Crown series continues with Sunday’s two-year-old pacing heats at Maryborough, with terrific coverage live and free on TrotsVision.com.au.
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